Vehicle top



C- C. EDDY VEHICLE TOP Filed April 12 Dec. 21 1926.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 CHARL 5 c. 500

INVENTOR.

WI TNESSEJ ATTORNEY.

1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 CHARL 5 I 0. 00 s. INVENTOR.

I I I n 1 BY S Eezzv' ATTORNY. v

Patented Dec. 21, less.

UNETEQ STATES CHABLES C. EDDY, OF CORTLAND, NEV] YORK, ASSIGWOB; T0 TEE BREVJER-TITCHENER CORPORATION, OF CORTLAND, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION 9F NEW YORK.

VEHICLE TOP.

Application filed April 12, 1924.

This application is a continuation of and embodies certain clearly indicated parts taken from my prior co-pending application Serial No. 639,541 filed May 17, 1923. The present invention pertains to a new improved vehicle top particularly designed for use in connection with automobiles, although it may be used in various other associations.

The principal object of my invention resides in the production of a comparatively strong and rigid frame structure for vehicle tops. In a permanent top of the type to which the present invention relates, lightness of frame structure constitutes an essential requirement. Such tops are found to give most satisfactory service when the frame structure is not made too rigid and is given a requisite inherent flexibility whereby to provide for the necessary shock-ah sorbing capacity to take up the road jolts. The novel arrangement of frame parts disclosed herein combines the necessary strength with stability of structurefor this purpose, and thus insures against loosening of the frame joints as well as undue lateral swaying of the frame with respect to its body mounting.

In the event that these effects are not properly provided against, the frame covering material would not remain tautly stretched in place after an extended period of service and the resulting slackening of the back curtain fabric would allow of whipping on part of the rear curtain light frame. As a consequence a disagreeable rumbling noise is likely to be set up within the top enclosure, besides greatly depreciating the appearance and useful life of the top structure. The present invention aims to overcome these defects and provide for lll'lPlOVQfl means to meet this need.

Furthermore, the invention has for an object, the production of a new form of top construction provided with improved side rails having cross rails and support standards an outrigger therefor, which possess novel construction features applicable to either a collapsible top or a permanent top. Certain of these elements are preferably made of substantially uniform rectangularshape and provided with a longitudinally continuous but peripherally inconr plete sheet metal sheath strip bent into suit- Serial No. 706,025.

able form adapted to snugly encase the major ortion of the superficial area of a wood iller block. The longitudinal edges of said strip are preferably spaced apart or otherwise perforated to provide for a longitudinal gap between said edges of the incomplete sheath so as to expose the filler and serve as a longitudinally disposed tacliing slot or slots for securement of a covering material to the wood filler. The pres entinvention is especially directed toward any metal sheathed type of side rails but in the preferred species of my improvements as embodied herein, my metal sheath is made to encase or grip more than three sides of a rectangular filler block. Not only are the tacking facilities thereby retained, but the inturned legs of the sheath edges impart a large measure of added strength to the enclosed filler for any given external sheath dimensions or thickness of metal, all of which allows of making the top frame elements smaller in sectional profile and more compact as applied to vehicle purposes.

This preferred four-sided style of incomplete tubular sheath is readily and economically formed and its novel shape is such that this reenforced fourth side of the filler block practically brings the sheath up to its fully closed tubular strength. No separate re taining means are required to hold the filler in place and it becomes virtually impossible to split the wood filler when driving tacks into same. The inturned legs of my sheath contour also afford a further advantage in that the frame parts such as bows or side rails, can more easily be bent or sharply kinked to conform to any desired vehicle top lines or body contour without tendency on part of the filler block to separate from its encasing sheath.

This particular style of sheath may readily he carried throughout the frame elements, such as a set of continuous complementary side rails and transverse bows therefor, and if desired, may also be embodied into the outrigger bow and into the main standards which give support to the side rail structure or in any desired combination of such frame elements. The cover or deck fabric, when mounted upon such an the respective access gaps, and this feature constitutes an important ad antage of the present invention.

When constructed in accordance with the preferred form or species of the present in vention, the almost wholly encased or sheathed filler blocks provide for a substantially equilateral strength against both tor sion and fiexure on part of the individual top frame elements and this ample inherent strength enables the top structure as a whole to resist weaving strains to the best advantage.

It is the further object of this invention to incorporate improved bracing means for tying the associated top parts together and imparting proper lateral stiffness thereto. Suitable means have also been devised for readily and cheaply assembling the top parts over the vehicle body, and for compactly storing and shipping the unassenr bled top parts while in transit.

Embodied herein are also other features of structure and arrangement of parts designed to facilitate the economical manufacture of permanent tops and their application to vehicle bodies, all of which will be set forth in detail hereinafter.

The disclosed embodiment of my preferred design is prin'iarily directed toward a so-called clear vision type of permanent top in which the complementary composite side rails extend unjointed over the body from front to rear thereof without supplemental lateral support means intermediate the rail ends. My improved style of sheathing for the side rail fillers afford a numberof special advantages applied to such long span purposes. since they are inherently more rigid and serve to materially augment its load capacity over that afforded by an unsheathed all-wood rail of substan: tially the same dimensions. A further advance over the prior art resides in outwardly facing the access slot of my sheathed side rails with respect to the longitudinal center line of the vehicle top and this particular disposition allows of tacking the marginal edges of the deck fabric to the respective wood fillers at close pitch and throughout their lengths without having to penetrate the metal rail sheaths. Thus, the cover may be tautly stretched over the top frame structure and properly secured all along the respective side rails so as to give the deck fabric the desired finished appearance without tendency to sag or scallop between the intermediate transverse bows. The idicated tacking facilities also provide for a weatherproof joint between the trimmed deck cover and its adjacent side rail. and in the event it is is desired to abut the top edge of winter enclosure panels against the C0211- plementary composite side rails, a heavy wind or a driving rain is thereby prevented from blowing over either deck rail and into the interior of such enclosed vehicle body.

Reference had to the accompanying two sheets of drawings which illustrate an example of the preferred form of my invention, like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and in which drawings:

l 1g. 1. represents an elevational view taken in section lengthwise of my permanent top structure and showing its points of attachment to a vehicle body.

Fig. 2, shows a half plan or bottom view or Fig. l. as seen from the underside of the deck fabric and it will be understood e other top half is intended to be .vith that shown.

ates the constructive details bow and its assemblage on the normally disposed side rail structure, as talteu along the line of Fig. 1.

Fig. l is an enlarged cross-sectional view of one side rail also talten along line 33 of Fig. 1. showing details of the preferred sheath construction and the decl; fabric trim tacked to the encased filler block.

5. represents a perspective view illus- 'l cf the sheath structure of my intermediate transverse bow and the fastening that inav be used to tie the thereof to one ()i its supporting side rails.

i ig. (3, shows in perspective some further detaih oi: the bracket plate used for pivotally securing the upper end if the supporting standard to the side rail structure.

' Z is a crois-sectional detail of the 1 t plate .5; taken along line f I 77 or howing the reenforced method of 1g same to the side rail. "l

i i ustrative embodiment of my inven tion con prises a pair of sup 'iort arms or standards such as 1. having their respective lower ends mounted upon a pivot iron secured. to he respective sides of the vehicle body 3 in the conventional manner. ln my improved top structure. the composite support standard 1 is preferably made up of sheet metal channel-shaj ied sheaths, the proiecting legs of which are ciimped over the edges of a substantially rectauguh-ir wood filler block, designated as 5) throughout the various views. tiuch tillr blocks are w .H w 7 V V r V prcieraoiy cmposet through the tacking slot 9 in a manner that will be more fully described hereinafter.

Each of said support standards preferably extend upwardly and rearwardly with respect to the horizontal edge or body trim line 23 and the upper free ends of the respective standards are each provided rith a slotted bow receiving socket (5 adapted Q0 connect toe said standards with the rear trans erse how 4': over which the cover or t v is stretched downward to ali n deck fabric a with the rear of the body tonneau 3.

In i

The upper end of each standard support arm 1 is further equipt with an angular bracket plate 7, the depending leg 7, of which is fastened to the standard by means of the rivets 7 while theother leg 7 is pivotally secured and locked to the continuous side rail 8, all of which will presently be described in detail.

The. complementary side rail members such as 8 and th set of standards such as 1, may be of substantially similar cross-sectional profile and each such rail together with its respective standard may be mounted in alignment against the same side of its respective bracket plate such as 7.

Each of the side rail members such as 8, of my top structure is preferably made up of a. continuous metal sheath encasing a filler block which is supported at its rearward portion by its respective standard and extending forward therefrom over the vehicle body in a substantially horizontal plane with respect to the top edge or trim line 3 The tacking slot or access gap 9,, of each side rail is disposed to face outwardly with respect to the center line of the complementary rails so as to facilitate their use for tacking purposes as will appear presently.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the forward or free ends of aid complementary side rails are bridged by means of the outrigger how 11 which preferably lies in alignment with the rail plane. If so desired, the outrigger rail may be formed of a somewhat heavier cross-sectional area to better withstand the transverse pull of the deck fabric 5 stretched over the assembled frame members. The outrigger how 11 is intended to rest upon a suitable forward support such as the windshield stanchionsdlQ or other side arms conventionally used for this purpose.

The set of described side rails serve in the capacity of back bone for the top frame structure, and they are bridged by several intermediate transverse bows designated as 13 13 and 13,, as shown in Fig. 1. bent cross bows may be metal sheathed and made to encase a wood filler in a manner identical. with that used for the side rail structure, and the tacking strip 9,, is likcwise turned outward to face the deck fabric 5. As regards the method of fastening the legs of my transverse bows to their respective side rails, they may be tied together by any suitable means which is here shown as comprising a flat bow extension strip 15 of about the width of one of the transverse bows; The strip has its upper end secured to said how while the other strip end projects downward beyond the transverse rail abut-ting leg end of the bow and is suitably secured to the side rail 8, preferably by means of stake pockets 16 disposed along one of the closed sides of the filler sneath as indicated in Fig. 5. The particular the entire filler length.

These method of securement is immaterial as far asv present purposes are concerned, but sev eral suitable devices of this kind have been 'more fully described in my co-pending patent application previously identified.

Referring in detail to the characteristic formation of the sheath used to cover the filler blocks of the various members of my permanent top frame structure, the filler block 9 thereof is preferably made to conform to a cross-sectionally rectangular shape as shown in Figs. l and 5. This filler is almost wholly encased by the metal sheath 10 which extends continuously along Said sheath may initially be formed in substantially straight tubular lengths Or sections from a long strip of sheet metal of suitable width adapted to snugly encase three sides of the rectangular filler block 9 and at the same time disposed to grip the fourth side of said block in such manner as to provide. for a longitudinal slot or access gap 9, spaced between the inturned strip edges or wing portions of the sheath, designated as 10 When rolled or drawn in one operation, the'set of overhung resilient wings 10 are initially so formed as to permit of driving the wood filler endwise into this incomplete tube, after which the wings may be further crimped down upon the assembled filler block by a rolling or press operation, should this be required.

As an alternative method for forming the tiller casing, the straight sheath length may initially be rolled into a channel or troughlike cross-sectional shape. The filler block is then placed into the bottom of said channel and by making the legs of the channel of proper length to project beyond the filler sides, such wing portions'of the sheath may be crimped over the filler edges to snugly encase the same in the manner described.

l l hen the rectangular filler is partially or wholly encased by. sheet metal on more than three of its sides, the need for separate fastening means between the filler and its sheath is thereby eliminated, and this improvement at the same time facilitates the shaping or bending of the assembled sheath into radius portions such as the knees of the transverse bows 13 or the like. This operation may readily be performed by bending said assembled filler sheath in either acold or steamed state over a suitable roll or form of any reasonable radius desired. It will be. obvious that my improved metal sheath serves to retain and hold the filler in the desired bent shape notwithstanding that the filler of itself would tend to return to its original shape- As regards the filler or core members used for my sheath, these are preferably made of strips of'wood or like materials, especially such as may readily be penetrated by tacks or similar fastening means. By virtue of 3 ill) the substantially closed metal confining walls, the wood tiller is much less liable to splinter or sliver while being bent and these walls also afford similar protection against splitting along the grain when driving tacks into the blocks through the exposed access gap 9... it will be apparent that it is not essential "for the longitudinal tacking slot 9 to extend along the entire length of the sheath, since substantially the same result may readily be attained by the use of intermeshing scalloped or undulated sheath edges or by suitable perforations of any desired shape cut through the inturned wings or other portions oi? a substantially closed sheath.

As indicated in Fig. 1, the deck fabric for a vehicle may be secured to the tiller block 9 by means of suitably spaced tacks such as 5 without however necess tating special drilling of the sheath therefor. since certain of the described metal encased filler blocks 9 of my structure are intended to be exposed for ta king purposes through their respective access gaps such 9. It is pointed out that all of these slots are not necessarily utilized for directly securing the deck fabric thereto. In the case of the intermediate bows, for instance, strainer webs and also corner webs (not shown) are usually run lengthwise of the body and these are conventionally tacked to the intermediate bows rather than to the deck fabric proper.

Referring in detail to the bow receiving socket 6 which is provided at the upper portion of the support standard 1, this is preterably fashioned into a relatively short sleevcdike section substantially similar in type of structure with the slotted rail sheath section shown in Fig. 4. The closed lat wall opposite the tacking slot of the socket 6 is secured to the bracket plate 7 by means of rive;s such as 6 best shown in Fig. 6. The leg ends of the rear transverse how 4 are then titted into the pair of complementary receiving sockets and suit-ably fastened therein to align with the supportstandard 1, as indicated in Fig. 1.

i turther constructive feature of the pres ent invention resides in the angular or bifurcated bracket plate 7 and the swivel method oi? fastening the respective support standards 1 to the side rails, which method allows of folding or collapsing these parts along side their respective rails 8 for the purpose of compactly stacking the demount ed top structure while in transit or storage. As is further shown in 6, the horizontally d""'osed leg 7 of said plate is provided .rii two holes 7 and 7.1 which are spaced lengthwi. e of the rail. The hole. 7 is equipt with a fulcrum pin extending in wardl through the side rail and likewise through the reenlorcing band 14 for the side rail sheath. The particular type of reentorcen'ient indicated in Fig. 7, consists of a sheet metal band 14 bent completely around the rail sheath and having one of its ends over-lapping the opposite end to provide for double u'ietal thickness at the point where the head of the plate fastening means thrusts against the side rails 8. The aim of this constructive feature is to secure a re- --n1"orced tie to the rail sheath and it will be apparent that the same purpose may be ed by a single heavy plate or clip 'iped against the rail 8 on the side oppoia ket plate 7. The hole 7 is provided with a detachable lock bolt that similarly extends through said side rail and its reenl'orcing parts. In the event it is desired to stack or store the unassenibled top "ne parts. said bolt is removed, and the r or gooseneck end of the unlocked sup ng ndard 1 may then be swung about the fulcrum 7., and made to align with the side rail 8. in the manner indicated the in Fig. l l. v dotted lines.

The ed lengthwise relation between the holes i and 7. along side rail axis incr' es the strength of the bracket plate tie a, ves to lock the support arm at any edeteruiined angle with respect to the side rai whenever the bolt 7.1, is inserted in place. lfro iier longitudinal rigidity against lateral dis ilaceinent with respect to the vehicle body is therefore imparted to the assembled top structure as a whole by means of said locked bracket plates. and this is supplemented by the lateral bracing etlect of the windshield stanchions. These parts'constt tutc a relatively still and. well braced strucunit adapted to take up any inertia ts or reac ions coming upon the top parts due to road jolts or other causes.

The as en'ibled frame parts are covered with a deer tabric 5 as indicated in the various views. By virtue of the described tacking slots which e to expose the wood tiller throughout all the elements of my top structure said fabric may readily and economically be fastened to any or all of the frame parts.

The use of the described aln'ost wholly closed metal sheath 10 im aarts a arge measure of strength to the encased till r block 9 for any given external dimensions. The relatively narrow access gal. 9 is preferably located near the neutral axis of cross-section al profile of the sheath where it detracts but little from its fully closed tubular strength. it will be obvious that the sheath encasing the tiller need not necessarilv be rectangular in cross-sectional shape. b instead these members 1' 1y readily be ,ven a n'iodilied contour hating a plurality of sides of which one is incompletely closed to provide for an openi x therethrough. serving to expose the tiller for the purpose intended. Likewise in such portions of my top structure where said access gap is not needed for tacking or similar purposes, the longitudinal edges of the sheath strip may be made to abut and fully encase the filler sheath. It will be understood therefore that the described sheath structure for vehicle top frames may readily be modified to serve different conditions and purposes, and that variousvchanges in the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, heretofore described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Claims- 1. A fabric covered deck structure for a vehicle body top comprising a deck fabric and a set of laterally disposed standards,

adapted to support the rearward portion of the top, a pair of continuous complementary side rails secured to the respective standards and extending forwardly therefrom,, said rails each comprising a substantially closed sheath except for an access openingtherethrough and a filler block encased within said sheath and exposed through said open-- ing, said openings being outwardly faced with respect to said top and having the longitudinal marginal portions of the deck fabric fastened to said rail filler blocks through their respective access openings.

2. A fabric covered deck structure for a vehicle body top comprising a set of laterally disposed standards adapted to support the rearward portion of the top, a pair of continuous complementary side rails respectively secured to said standards and extend ing forwardly therefrom, said rails each comprising a peripherally incomplete sheath of substantially parallelogram profile provided with an access gap along one of its sides between the longitudinal edges thereof faced outwardly with respect to the top and further comprising a filler block encased within said sheath, and a deck fabrichaving its longitudinal marginal portions fastened to the respective filler blocks through said access gaps.

3. A non-collapsible top structure for a vehicle body comprising a supporting standard disposed at each side of the body, continuous composite side rails each secured to each of the respective standards, said rails each comprising a filler block of substantially rectangular crosssectional profile encased or gripped by a metal sheath on more than three sides of said block with an access gap be tween the longitudinal edges of said sheath which gap is outwardly disposed with re spect to the top, and means including a pivoted bracket plate having a fulcrum pin se cured to said rail sheath and adapted to fold each standard alongside its respective rail for the purpose of compactly stacking and storing the unassembled top structure.

'4. A non-collapsible top structure for a vehicle body comprising a supporting standard, an angular or bifurcated bracket plate having one leg secured to said standard, a continuous composite side rail comprising a filler block and an incomplete sheath therefor provided with an access gap outwardly faced with respect to the top, said rail being pivotally attached to the other bracket leg and disposed on the same side of said plate as is said standard, and a detachable bolt means longitudinally spaced from the pivot and extending through said plate and said sheath of the side rail to normally lock pivotal movement of said rail with respect to the standard.

5. A non-collapsible top structure for a vehicle body comprising a pair of laterally dis posed standards, complementary composite side rails respectively secured to said standards and extending over said body, said rails each comprising a filler block of subtantially parallelogram profile provided with a longitudinally continuous but peripherally incompletc metal sheath adapted to embrace more than three sides of said block and disposed to constitute an access gap for said block faced outwardly with respect to the top, a transverse bow and an outrigger bow bridg ing said side rails, and a deck cover having its longitudinal marginal portions fastened to said rail filler blocks through their respective access gaps.

6. A top structure for a vehicle body com prising a set of standards of which one end portion is secured'to the respective sides of the body, a bow receiving socket for each free end portion of said standards, a rear transverse bow bridging said sockets, complementary composite side rails respectively attached to the socket ends of said standards and extending over the body, said rails each comprising a filler block provided with a longitudinally continuous but peripherally incomplete metal sheath adapted to encase the major portion of the superficial filler surface and provide an access gap faced outwardly with respect to the-top and serving to expose said filler, an intermediate transverse bow and an outrigger bow bridging said rails, and a deck cover having its marginal portions respectively adjoined to said filler blocks and serving to conceal the access gap thereof.

7. A non-collapsible top structure for a vehicle body comprising a pair of composite supporting standards disposed laterally of the body, each of said standards being equipt with a filler block provided with a longitudinally continuous but peripherally incomplete sheath adapted to encase the major portion of the superficial filler surface and provide an outwardly disposed access gap therefor for tacking purposes, complementary composite side rails respectively seiii cured to said standards and extending over the body, said rails each being likewise provided with a filler block and a sheath therefor substantially similar to that defined for said standards and also provided with an outwardly disposed access gap adapted to supplement the tacking facilities of said standards, and a deck cover having its longitudinal marginal portions attached to said rail blocks through the last named access gaps.

8. In a built up top structure for a vehicle body comprising a pair of laterally disposed standards, complementary composite side rails respectively secured to the standards and extending over the body, said rails each comprising a filler block and a longitudi nally continuous but peripherally incomplete sheath adapted to partially encase said block and provide for an access gap therefor faced outwardly with respect to the top, connecting means including a bracket plate for attaching the respective composite side rails to their standards, an outrigger bow bridgii'ig the extended end of said 1 sleeve connecting means for attachin the respective ends of said outrigger bow to said composite rails, a transverse bow also bridging th rails, connecting means including a stake pocket for attaching the respective transverse bow ends to said composite rails, and a deck cover attached to said rail filler blocks through their respective access gaps.

9. A top structure for a vehicle body comprising a set of standards disposed laterally of the body, complementary composite side rails respectively secured to said standards and extending over said body, said rails each comprising a filler block of substantially parallelogran'i prolile equipt with a longitudinally continuous but peripherally incomplete metal sheath adapted to completely encase three sides of said block and disposed to constitute an access gap faced outwardly with respect to the top, which permits of tacking the deck cover at spaced points along the fourth side of said block, a socket element for each. of said rails adjoinea w said sheath and offset therefrom along one of said completely encased block sides, and a transverse bow having leg ends adapted to engage the respective socket elements adjoined. to said rail sheaths.

10. A fabric covered deck structure for a vehicle body top comprising a set of laterally disposed standards, complementary composite side rails respectively secured to the standards and extending over the body, said rails each comprising a filler block of substantially parallelogram profile provided with a longitudinally continuous but peripherally incomplete sheath adapted to wholly encase three sides of said block and disposed to constitute an outwardly faced access gap which permits of tacking the deck cover to said block along the incompletely sheathed fourth side thereof, an outrigger bow bridging the extended end of said rails, 21 compusite intermediate transverse bow also bridging said rails, said last named bow c" 'iprising a filler block and a sheath therefor provided with an outwardly faced access substantially similar to that defined for the side rail and serving to supplement the tacking facilities thereof, means including a socket element for uniting the respective sheathed transverse bow ends to said sheaths of the composite rails, and a deck cover for the top structure having its longitudina edge. attached to the respective filler blocks of the complementary side rails.

11. In a non-collapsible top structure for a vehicle body comprising a deck fabric and a set of laterally disposed standards adapted to support the top structure, apair of con tinuous complementary side rails secured to the respective standards, said rails each com prising a tiller block of substantially paral lelogram proh'le reenforced by a peri 'iherally incomplete metallic sheath-like member adjoined to more than one side of said block, the longitudinal ed 'es of said sheath-like member being spaced apart to provide an access gap faced outwardly with respect to the top and allowing of fastening the longitudinal marginal portions of the deck fabric to the respective filler blocks without having to pierce said metallic member.

in testimony whereof, I have herewith set my hand this, 25th day of March,

C. G. EDDY. 

